What do Engineers Do?

To celebrate Engineers Week, we’ve set out to answer a question that more people ask than you might expect- What exactly do engineers do?

Some of us have memories of engineering experiments in grade school (building structures with marshmallows and spaghetti, making built cars move with straws and balloons, dropping eggs from the roof of the school). Some of us just know engineering as the field that we could literally never survive in (Math? No thank you!). Some of us still wonder if the people on trains are actually engineers, or what on earth the difference is between all those different fields of engineering.

Are engineers the ones designing things? Or are they the ones on the computer? Do they make decisions? Or do they just support other’s needs and ideas? Are they really responsible for buildings standing and parking lots being set up safely? What about electrical stuff- how does that work?

From making clients’ visions happen, to bringing new possibilities and opportunities to existing structures, roads, waterways, and more. Engineers create designs, they make decisions, and they create solutions.

We’ve asked our engineers to tell us- What do you do?

“I help keep the environment clean by designing sewage collection systems and wastewater treatment plants.” –Bill Orlowsky, PE

“I help water and wastewater systems comply with environmental regulations in order to ensure our drinking water and water resources are safe and clean.” –Josh James, EIT

“I ensure our clients’ structures are safe, stable, economical, and meet codes. I also provide advice to clients to meet those ends.” –Jon Meyer, PE

“I design the bones of a building so that people feel safe.” –Jeffrey Thoms, PE

“Whether renovating or constructing, I’ll design the plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, and more for your building.” –Justin Folk

“I assist municipalities maintain infrastructure through design, and review development plans for engineering compliance.” –Nick Szeredai, PE

“I design electrical systems to make sure equipment is properly powered and controlled.” –Chris Colvin, EIT